Romance Books

I enjoyed this book so much, I read it twice. Rarely do I do that. I was disappointed in the watered-down film version, however. This is my first Philippa Gregory book, but certainly not my last.

I simply couldn't put this book down! Just read one bit at the bookstore and I promise you won't be disappointed!
It is well written, creative, and NEVER a dull moment in the life of the court! I loved how the author revived the Boleyn family and created such wonderful characters that you want to see succeed in life! You want to meet them, spend the day with them, and help them! It was just a lovely book and I can't wait to read more of her novels!!!

I loved this book, I thought that it was very well written. Phillipa Gregory makes it feel like you are there watching all of the stuff as its happening. It is so hard to believe that these were real people, who had to live like that. She makes history fun to read about. It is such a great book. I recommend it to all my friends and family that enjoy reading. I will defiantly read this one again!!!!

I devoured this book in two days. The author's writing style compels you to keep turning pages...you have to find out what (usually awful) It is kind of like seeing roadkill, you want to look away, but you just have to find out what the heck that thing was... I found the book to be somewhat disturbing in several parts. When I got done, I felt satisfaction at being finished with it, but unable to really recommend it to anyone in that it really was depressing to follow all the characters through bad choices and the farce of their lives. I think the author is a very talented writer - but I didn't care for the storyline.

The Other Boleyn Girl is overlong, filled with tedious and unnecessary descriptions of Henry VIII-era women's clothing, barely touches on the genuine religious background for the novel (indeed makes it seem that the principal reason for the break between England and the Church of Rome was because of the machinations of the Boleyns) and despite the title is more about Anne Boleyn and Henry than the Mary of the title. The narrative is simply heavy-handed. Mary seems to be everywhere anything important is happening or manages by chance to overhear important information or picks it up via weakly developed exposition. It's supposed to be a historical romance, but there's precious little genuine history and and not a lot of romance. Oh . . . and the ending takes 700-plus pages to get to, but it's all telegraphed by page 350 or so.

In the latest installment of the Mercy Thompson series, we find Mercy, a walker who can turn into a coyote, in more trouble. During a night out with some friends, Mercy receives a call from her mentor Siebold Adelbertsmiter, better known as Zee. It turns out that someone has been killing the fae, so Zee enlists the help of Mercy, hoping that her nose might pick up the scent of the killer.

The investigation leads them nowhere. Zee decides to investigate more, while Mercy heads home. Hours later, she receives a call later informing her of Zee's arrest. Mercy is determined to find out who the real killer is, even if the whole fae community wants to kill her for poking her nose in fae business.

I just finished this book and I have to say this is the best book so far in the series. The books just keep getting better and better and as each book finishes, my love for the character Mercy continues to grow.

Mercy does end up going through a traumatic event in this novel, which did anger some people. I was spoiled about this, so the shock value didn't hit me as hard as someone who didn't know what was going to happen. That being said, it's still shocking and hard to read. I didn't mind it so much, simply because it did show that no one is ever safe, not even supernatural characters like Mercy.

So many female characters in urban fantasy novels rush into action alone and without back up, leaving them open to any attack, most of the time they never suffer any consequences for their action. So reading that Mercy actually didn't leave unscathed, made me love this novel even more, though I still wish she didn't have to go through that.

The aftermath of it was heartbreaking, but it solidified my love of Mercy. I wanted to find her, give her a hug, and tell her that everything will be okay. I do understand that some people might not like this, but to me it brought the human side of Mercy and it showed that she isn't invincible. Sometimes when we do risky things, we get hurt, even if you are not human like Mercy. While it brought the human side of Mercy, I loved how it also brought the human side of Ben, who we've seen as just scary. The event, really humanized a lot of characters.

Mercy also chooses between Samuel and Adam, which pleased me greatly. I don't mind love triangles, I just hate incredibly long love triangles that span through many, many books. If a love triangle goes through more than six or seven books, I just lose any love I had for those characters. Also, I use to watch Passions and that kind of killed my love for incredibly long love triangles. It killed my love for many things actually. Thankfully, Mercy didn't make me suffer and I was pleased with her choice.

My only disappointment to this great novel is the lack of vampires and Stefan, but that's okay since I don't think they would have added anything to the story.

This is an awesome book. Make sure you grab yourself a copy.

I look at Mercy as a strong independent woman. Patricia Briggs' story shows how even the strongest individuals, after such an emotional traumatic event, need someone to lean on. She won't let them take care of her forever, but for a while it is nice to know you have people willing to do things like that for you.

Ben's explanation to Adam at the end of the book is some of the best writing I have ever read. The emotion in those few pages will stay with me for a long time.

Mercy is a shape shifter, but she shifts into a coyoto. She it also torn between two men, Sam who she grew up with and Adam her neighbor. Adam is the leader of the werewolf pack. The book is the third in the series and her former mentorMercy is a shape shifter, but she shifts into a coyote. She it also torn between two men, Sam who she grew up with and Adam her neighbor. Adam is the leader of the werewolf pack. The book is the third in the series and her former mentor is accused of murder and left to rot behind robs for a murder that Mercy knows know he didn't commit, she sets out to prove his innocent. Along the way, she runs into some serious trouble, toward the end of the book, the situation, becomes violent toward mercy, will she survive? Can she be she healed? I looked forward to reading the next book in the series? Do yourself a favor and read this series, you won't be disappointed. Mercy is a shape shifter, but she shifts into a coyote. She it also torn between two men, Sam who she grew up with and Adam her neighbor. Adam is the leader of the werewolf pack. The book is the third in the series and her former mentor is accused of murder and left to rot behind robs for a murder that Mercy knows know he didn't commit, she sets out to prove his innocent. Along the way, she runs into some serious trouble, toward the end of the book, the situation, becomes violent toward mercy, will she survive? Can she be she healed? I looked forward to reading the next book in the series? Do yourself a favor and read this series, you won't be disappointed. is accused of murder and left to rot behind robs for a murder that Mercy knows know he didn't commit, she sets out to prove his innocent. Along the way, she runs into some serious trouble, toward the end of the book, the situtation, becomes viloent toward mercy, will she survive? Can she be she healed? I look forward to reading the next book in the series? Do youself a favor and read this series, you won't be disappointed.

A little shocking towards the end, but I love how strong she is. I can't wait until the next book.

Terribly awesome books. CAN'T wait till Bone Crossed comes out in FEBUARY!! The suspense is horrible. There's a sneak peak though at the end of Patricia's Cry Wolf (which was amazing). =D

The modern vampire genre is largely one intended for light and entertaining reading, and fans do not often make the mistake of "expecting too much" from such fiction. To this end, Harris delivers - she presents readers with quick easy reads without requiring much engagement or consideration.

As the series continues, her skills and confidence as an author continue to improve. However, her established setting is increasingly problematic - though a small town is certainly a charming setting for a novel or two, the height to which Harris has taken the supernatural has likewise increased the absurdity of her books, and becomes a detracting factor.

I never thought I would enjoy this series, but right from the first chapter of book 1, I was hooked!! This is not the kind of book I would ordinarily buy, but book 1 was given to me by a friend. she had not read it & said she bought it by mistake. I happened to open it up when I had nothing else to read & "BAM" I was hooked!!
I find Sookie an absolute delight. I love reading about each & every new & different species she manages to come across. She is serious where she should be & light hearted where it's appropriate.
I'm so happy that Sookie & Eric get together in this book, since I've always been rather partial to him.
I look forward to the other books in this series and I sure hope they all stay as good as the first four.

Love these books. Definitely adult reading..totally entertaining. adult situations are enchanting..makes YOU want to be Sookie! Some hot vamps running around!

Love it, the series is fantastic, Eric the Vamp mmm how can I say just fab.

Of the three books of the series that I've read, "Dead To the World" was the best. I skipped the first book frankly because I figured I got the gist of the storyline. Personally I think she should tell Eric what happened between them and then see how it goes, get over the whole Bill thing already ... move on. Frankly it's just something about Bill's personality that is a little off. At least with Eric she knows what he's all about.

That being said. I have a few problems with the series in general. I have noticed that we get a lot background on characters who are technically irrelevant to the storyline, but who pop up here and there for no particular reason or for filler. Sookie's internal dialogue waffling over various situations, and random thoughts that have nothing to do with whatever danger or situation she's facing are kind of annoying. Also, the "white picket fence" syndrome she seems to suffer from is rather odd considering the "disability" she's had for most of her life. And lastly, Sookie needs put Sam in the "male that's a friend" box and leave him there. often times it feels like she's giving him mixed signals.

I almost gave this novel 4 stars, because there was a point at the near-end where I didn't like where the author was going. But in the last pages, he redeemed himself, and I see why it *had* to be told the way it was.

That being said, I loved Atonement. It is one of the best books I've read in years. Robbie and Cecilia's fiery love made me catch my breath, and I know this is a book that will leave me thinking for days.

What an overrated piece of soap-operatic junk! I can't recall when I was so disappointed in a book. With all the accolades, I was expecting something really special (tho' I should know better by now, as commercial/popular success seems these days to be inversely related to quality). While the prose itself is nice, the entire book hangs on an event that occurs early on and is so contrived and unbelievable, with an outcome that is so predictable, that it was difficult for me to keep reading -- and the only reason I did keep reading was because I kept hoping it would get better, that an intelligent and complex structure would ultimately emerge to justify the contrivance and its predictability -- but alas, it never does. I can't get into specifics without giving away details that shouldn't be revealed to those who still want to read this trash, but if you're looking for an intelligent read with some substance and honesty, DON'T read this book!!

Yes, Ian McEwan writes beautifully. Yes, I actully liked the last section of the novel where as a reader, I understood more about Briony. But the novel felt sluggish, and the characters seemed shallow. I just never connected, which was a disappointment. It seemed on the surface to have all of the elements I usually enjoy.

I first picked this book up about 6 or 7 years ago, read it over the course of 4 nights and immediately read it all over again. I laughed. I cried. I got excited/scared/happy/hopeful/devastated/etc. as the story went.

My favorite thing about Atonement is that the story is one I have never read before. It's so refreshing after reading hundreds of books I find that so many follow the same base plots, and while they can still be good, this book transcended any I had read before, and any I have read after.

My hands-down favorite. I've read it 4 times now as well as anything else by Ian McEwan I could find.

There are so many reviews of this book already that I am loathe to add more redundant verbiage to the pile. So I'll just say that this is my third Ian McEwan novel (having read "On Chesil Beach" and "Saturday" before I read this one), and I must say that he is now one of my favorite writers. This book functions on so many levels and in the end is really as much about the craft of writing as anything else. We first meet Briony, who is really the protagonist, as a young adolescent, and we see into her young mind and heart, and understand, before she does, the disaster that her overactive imagination will cause in the lives of her friends and family. She is precocious and thoughtful, but she is young and fails to understand that she is wrong, in so many ways, about what she sees before her own eyes. Her emotions and her imagination get the better of her and although she ultimately realizes the mistake she made and seeks atonement for it, she has nonetheless changed forever the lives of her Cecilia, her sister, and of Robbie, the young man with a promising future whose mother works for the Tallis family. Ironically, though, it is her imagination that will serve her well as a novelist. The book flows through personal lives, society, as well as world history and moves from mid-20th century to the end of the century. A good deal of ground to cover, but McEwan does it well, I think. The characters are interesting and real and the story is compelling.

I have always enjoyed Linda Howard's books, but I cannot understand why she would make such unappealing characters into her protagonists. I don't want to spoil anything for other readers but the lead characters were completely unlovable and unlikeable.

Death Angel was dead from the beginning. I've never read such a bad book by Howard. The plot is weak and improbable, the characterizations sloppy and the characters are unappealing. Too much Angel and not enough Death- skip this one and read the new Nora Roberts instead

Some other reviewer commented that this was the best in years, well I have to disagree. Not just the subject matter bothered me, the hero did too. Come-on, he was a murderer and she made him a hero? Plus, other things in the book about the hero's actions that I found hard to take, but will not mention because they would be spoilers. I haven't liked other books that Ms. Howard has written, but I have always bought them hoping for the best. This one I wish I could return for a full refund.

I knew when I finished this book that other readers were going to have trouble accepting the fact that Simon was/is a hitman, plain and simple. While reading the book, I kept waiting for more background on him to come out- such as he was secretly working for the gov't. But, nope. Didn't get that info, in fact, there wasn't much on Simon at all. Almost like LH cut him out of a cardboard box and said "You will have amazing eyes but say next to nothing."
Drea, I actually liked her even though many reviewers were calling her a whore. Yes, she was arm candy and slept with a drug lord for the life she wanted, but considering the hardknock life she came from, it's really not that unfeasable.
LH made her characters real with flaws and all and none of the "OMG. What is this person? A saint??" feelings that usually accompany me when I read through a romance.
For all the flaws in this book, I could not put it down.

This story is a little different and a bit of a surprise for this die-hard LH fan. Without giving away the plot, I can say that the story is very dark (reminded me a little of "Son of the Morning" and "Cry No More") and heartbreaking. For the first time Howard has a story where none of the main characters are intrinsically good and without major moral deficiencies - it really became a story about the redemption of a couple of very tortured souls. While LH gives you some of her patented hot moments, there are some surprising twists and turns, and it ends up going in a totally different direction than expected. This is both good and bad. Death Angel makes you think, but if you are looking for your typical hot and sexy crime thriller about the cop and the damsel in distress, Death Angel is not for you.

I liked the book I didnt realize at the time it was a mini book. But all of Sherrilyn Kenyon books are my new obsession.

This book filled in some holes for me. I always wondered about the were dragons. Dragonswan (Dark-Hunter, Book 1.5)I love the Dark Hunter series and hope she keeps writing them.

I've read more recent offerings in Sherrilyn Kenyon's delightful Dark-Hunters series, but I recently stumbled across this earlier segment, a novella previously published as part of a collection. This one starts off seemingly like any other paranormal romance: quiet, mousy girl meets exotic, darkly sexy guy and they hit off great -- but then at the end of the first chapter, it kicks into high gear, and we find the darkly sexy guy is a shape-shifting, time-traveling dragon prince in search of an artifact she has been studying, not knowing it is a vital treasure he needs to save a loved one.

It's a good, quick read, maybe even a little too quick: the snappy dialogue is a blast and the world just begs to be developed a little more, which leaves you with an "Aww, ending so soon?" feeling as you turn the last few pages, but it still leaves you satisfied. I love the pamphlet size of this book: reminds me of the old-style serialized novels from the early days of popular fiction.

Nice addition to the series. I found this after I was finished book 6. Loved the characters, just wish it was longer!

I have read Sherrilyn Kenyon for years and will continue to do so.
DragonSwan was a wonderful and funny beginning to this awesome series. Sherrilyn Kenyon actually got me started on reading paranormal books.
As usual her men are yummy and strong and these Were-Hunters are no different. Every book is an adventure within itself. I highly recommend this book. Once you start this series you will not stop until she has written the last book.

Deb Macomber's second book is this breathtaking series, The Manning Brides, once again goes to prove why the crown of contemporary romance sits so snuggly upon her head and why it's not an easy one to take off. We were first introduced to this series with her bestseller: The Manning Sisters: The Cowboy's LadyThe Sheriff Takes A Wife (MIRA) Anyone familiar with this series knows the two story format and that holds true for book two.

The first tale is Marriage of Convenience and those who've read The Manning Sisters will recognize the brothers. In this first tale we have Rich who is asked by his friend Jamie to be the "donor" of a child she desperately wants. Well, he agrees (since they've been good friends for years) and finally realizes that Jamie is the perfect woman for him.

The second tale is Stand-In Wife and like the first story this time we read about Rich's brother Paul. Paul has lost his wife and is left grieving while trying to raise three young children. Leah Baker has also suffered the heart-ache of loss and does her best to help. Well, she finally takes the plunge and (after quitting her job) moves in with Paul who slowly begins to love once more.

Both tales have Deb Macomber's trademark stamped on them and why we read her to begin with. In both cases the characters are well-developed with a quality of humor while keeping the romantic chemistry light at first/steamy toward the end. All in all we're given an adequate romance with characters willing to give love a second chance.

Editor of the highly recommended novel: Fates by Georgiou, Tino Fates (2nd Edition)

I just finished the second book of the two published here together. I really love the way Debbie Macomber writes- romantic without being nasty. Relationships are at the heart of her books. And this is what makes these two stories fun to read. We can all relate to the characters here- they are well developed and entertaining. I could relate to the problems of both of the Manning brides. How wonderful to address those of us who delayed getting married until our 30's due to careers and such. And who does not love a happy ending and true love?

While I think the dialogs between the men was a bit of a stretch (I mean, I don't know any 2 straight men who will turn off an important football game to discuss their feelings about romance).... it all worked in the end. Not quite as much fun as a trip down Blossom street, but very worthwhile summer reading.

ALL IN ALL I THOUGHT THIS BOOK WAS GOOD. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS THE BEST IN THE SERIES OF BOOKS. I LOVED HOW THE BOOK STARTED OUT WITH THE AMENISA AND I LOVED THE THOUGHT OF CURSES AND LEGENDS! I JUST THOUGHT IT TOOK A WHILE FOR THINGS TO PAN OUT AND ONCE THEY DID THE BOOK WAS PRETTY MUCH OVER. IT WAS LIKE THE BOOK WAS EITHER SPEEDING UP WITH THE PLOT OR SLOWING DOWN. I JUST THINK THERE COULD HAVE BEEN MORE DONE WITH THE TYPE OF PLOT. I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE I'M BASHING THE BOOK ALL IN ALL IT WAS A GOOD READ BUT COMPARED TO THE OTHERS IN THE SERIES IT WAS A LET DOWN AND MAYBE THATS BECAUSE THE OTHER GENTLEMEN IN THE SERIES WEREN'T PROPER AND I LIKE THAT THEY WHERE MORE OF A ROUGE. I DO WISH THE BOOK IT'S BEST THOUGH

Oliver Leighton, the Earl of Norcroft, is the last man standing after a bet amongst four men as to whom would remain unmarried the longest. Rather ironically, Oliver was never opposed to marriage, as the other three men were, but simply desired only to marry for love. He hadn't felt the need to get married but now that his friends had moved on into their new lives he feels a little lonely.

When Oliver returns to his country estate he is soon surprised by the arrival of an unconscious woman who appears to have amnesia. Over the next days the woman tries to remember her life - she doesn't even know her name and so Oliver and his mother call her Kate. As Oliver spends time with her he begins to wonder if she's the ideal future countess - but nothing can be done when they don't know who she is.

As Kathleen MacDavid recovers her memory she realises she has fallen in love with Oliver - and that her meeting with him isn't as accidental as it appears. Can Oliver understand why they have to marry, will he believe in the curse that has beleaguered their families for hundreds of years, and even if they marry, will the curse ever be broken?

This was an enjoyable and lighthearted tale with most of the action taking place between Oliver and Kate/Kathleen as she tries to remember who she is. The difficulties of her amnesia were well written although once her memories came back I felt the story faltered a little. Oliver himself was occasionally a rather variable character, switching from being stiff and haughty to warm and friendly in a rather changeable manner. The story was perhaps a little drawn out in the end but it was a pleasant enough read with a couple of sub-plot romances.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Could it be MAGIC...

For most people falling in love and trusting your heart to another can be a somewhat risky thing to do, though usually well worth the gamble. For Lady Kathleen MacDavid falling in love can be a hazardous venture, or to be more precise, a truly perilous one for the gentleman she falls in love with. But then, most people don't have fate, destiny AND a 500 year old curse hanging over their heads. Now, the lovely Lady Kathleen considered herself to be an intelligent, responsible and reasonably sensible woman--no simple thing when you were raised in a family of rather impractical women who dabbled in the mystic arts; and believed in things like spells, charms, superstitions and magic--Oh, and of course, the family CURSE.

According to old family legend, it all started hundreds of years ago with two feuding border families--an English one and Kathleen's Scottish ancestors, who, in order to end the hostility and violence were to be joined thru marriage. But somehow the marriage never took place and an old woman who'd lost most of her family in the warfare had put a curse on both families--declaring they be united in marriage--or terrible, dreadful things would happen and both family lines would die out. They'd had 500 years to break the curse, but apparently no one had; and the deadline--autumn of 1854--was fast approaching.

At first Kathleen thought the whole thing was utter nonsense, but after years of untimely deaths, a string inexplicable tragedies and the peculiar inability of perfectly healthy members of her family to reproduce--leaving Kathleen as the last of her line--had forced her to become a believer. So to break the curse and save her family, she was willing to travel to England and sacrifice herself on the alter of matrimony to--the last male descendent of the English family--Oliver Leighton, 12th Earl of Norcroft.

Now, would it be too much to hope that Lord Norcroft believed in magic as well???

*****

I'm always a little nervous when I read the final book in any series because honestly--due to high expectations--a last book can sometimes make or break a series for the reader. So I'm thrilled to say that I thought SEDUCTION OF A PROPER GENTLEMAN was an absolutely PERFECT ending to Victoria Alexander's excellent "Last Man Standing" quartet.

From the charming and "magically" mysterious prologue, to the incredibly fitting conclusion of the "tontine", and the utterly delightful glimpse into the HEA of the characters that I've come to love--thirty years into their future--in a wonderful epilogue ... I loved-loved-loved Oliver and Kate's enchanting, funny and romantic tale. It was pure MAGIC!

I thought Kate was the ideal heroine for Oliver; they had great chemistry together and both were kindhearted, amiable, affectionate and "family oriented". I had loved Oliver throughout the series; he was a dependable and honorable man--the most sensible of all the "guys"--and just an all around nice fellow who very much deserved to find love. Though I definitely enjoyed the irony of Oliver winning the bet--he was unashamedly a romantic and the only one not running away from love, so of course, he would be the last to find it. And I was very happy with how Oliver's character evolved in the story, the author allowed him to be more lighthearted, playful, charmingly flirtatious and sexy. And he was made to endure some unpredictable and hilarious mishaps as well.

Though, aside from the terrific humor and delightful absurdity of the "curse" I felt there was a much deeper--dare I say profound--theme running below the lighthearted surface of the story... Reminding us that BAD things do happen to GOOD people and usually with no rhyme or reason to them. And to survive the sorrowful times of your life, or make the terrible times bearable, you need to trust in your inner strength--and you absolutely must have HOPE in your heart.

I felt Kate was that kind of person. She was a strong, courageous, and remarkable heroine because no matter what life threw at her she kept her sense of humor, and she kept picking herself up and carrying on. I loved her--and she's become one of my all time favorite heroines. I also thought the amnesia scenario matched the storyline so well; I love the whole--chance to start over/start fresh--thing. Kate's struggle to come to terms with her loss of memory and sense of being "lost" added another poignant layer to the storyline. She had to deal with a roller-coaster of emotions and I couldn't help but feel her frustrations and fears. Yet, she handled losing her memory remarkably well, much better than I think I would have been able to cope. Her self-reflections were full of tender moments that tugged at the heartstrings and also several laugh out loud moments; such as when she was assembling a list of what she perceived to be her newly discovered character flaws.

I love romantic comedies and I've been a big fan of Victoria Alexander's historical romances for several years. I believe she has a genuine gift for--lighthearted--romantic storytelling that is complemented by the lustrous comedic "voice" of a true humorist. Her stories are passionate--unquestionably--optimistic and entertaining, offering her reader's sophisticated, intelligent and insightful observations on life, relationships and love. All of her characters are compelling and realistically drawn--coming complete with all the flaws, endearing quirks and eccentricities that make them unique, and distinctly human. Ms Alexander's books are my comfort reads because they never fail to bring a smile to my face, lift my spirits and just make me happy... I can't ask for more then that from any author. If you're a HOPEFUL romantic like I am and you're looking for a story to make you feel happy inside--I highly recommend picking up a copy of this heartwarming story.

I also recommend the other Victoria Alexander's other books in this series ... Let It Be Love (prequel) A Little Bit Wicked (Last Man Standing, Book 1) What a Lady Wants (Last Man Standing, Book 2) Secrets of a Proper Lady (Last Man Standing, Book 3)